Unidentified Sentiment
by thebmule
Summary: Hiei and Kurama are teammates... friends... What will each do to protect the other? A birthday fic for Blue Utopiah.


In their hotel room, Hiei sat awake, watching the kitsune sleep. Normally guarded, the fox always slept better when in the company of his petite lover, as evidenced by his relaxed position in the bed and the deep, even movements of the redhead's chest as he breathed. The demons had been fighting as partners for some time, and only recently had their relationship grown physical.

The hiyoukai reflected on this change as the full moon's bright light spilled onto him through the window. They had a tacit agreement that their coupling was physical only; neither sought emotional attachment from the other and both were free to leave or stay as they saw fit. This type of arrangement was common in Makai, where demons used their partners to satisfy their lust and relieve their stress. They had kept this a secret from their teammates, however, because humans tended to associate sex with love, and the detective and the oaf were incapable of realizing the incongruity of the two concepts by demon standards.

Besides, here at the Dark Tournament, each of the team members had more important worries and fears with which to contend.

Tearing his eyes from Kurama's slumbering form, the fire demon looked down at his hand. Clasped in it was a small piece of paper. Hiei had received it in secret earlier today. He had no need to read it again; the message was safely stored in his memory. The note demanded his presence in the forest on the other side of the island when the moon reached its zenith this night. Blinking, Hiei shifted his gaze to the sky. He had about twenty minutes before the appointed time. If he was going to go, he should go now.

During the competition it was ill advised for any of the contenders to wander alone, especially in the middle of the night through the thick, wild forest surrounding the habitable minority of the island. The hiyoukai weighed his options. He had a choice in the matter. Nothing bothered him so much as the saying, "I don't have a choice." One always had a choice. There were merely times when one decision seemed exceptionally inconvenient. This was one of those times. Although the words in the note were few, the message was all too clear. Should he choose not to heed the summons, the sleeping form in the bed beside him would never survive to see the final round of the tournament, but rather suffer severely before death would finally claim him.

Hiei pondered this, and his reluctance to sacrifice the life of his teammate for his own wellbeing. No, teammate was too impersonal a term; he considered Kurama a friend. Having never had the luxury of friendship before, this revelation surprised and frightened the demon, even as he questioned just how deeply their friendship truly ran. Tossing the term around in his head, he tried to force it to fit their relationship. Kurama was a friend, but even that didn't explain why Hiei would entertain the notion of a meeting in the woods at this late hour. Still wondering he arose, as silent as the moonbeams shining through the window, and left the room. Green eyes opened as he closed the door.

Hidden among the trees, Kurama followed his smaller teammate across the island, making their way farther and farther from the lights of the hotel. The kitsune wondered what was going on. Hiei had been even more silent than usual this evening. The sly fox spread his energy throughout the plants around him, diffusing his youki and blending seamlessly with the foliage around him. Had he employed any other method of masking his energy, the sensitive demon in front of him would have felt it instantly. But Kurama need not have feared discovery. Hiei was so intent on scanning the woods before him, he never considered that the "sleeping" kitsune might have followed him out this evening. Besides, their arrangement allowed them to come and go as they pleased, so why would the youko-turned-human bother to wonder where the half-breed had gone?

Stealthily, Kurama stopped and crouched low among the shadows when he saw Hiei tense before him. The hiyoukai had come to a clearing; he had arrived at his destination. Standing in the relative cover of the trees, he scanned the small meadow. He saw no animal life in the glade, only the rippling of the tall grass as the gentle wind swept over it and a large, flat tree stump a few yards into the open space. Narrowing his eyes Hiei waited. His wait was not long.

"Come on out, fire demon. I know you are there," came a soft, silky voice. At first Hiei balked, unwilling to take commands from an unknown source. But he quickly realized that he had no room to maneuver among the trees and no idea where the other voice was coming from. Being in the clearing seemed his best chance should he have to fight. Stepping out, he focused his senses, trying to detect the energy of his potential adversary.

Unsurprisingly, he was able to detect the other demon's energy immediately, but Hiei was taken aback by the feel of the energy. It was not concentrated around the demon, as most auras are, but was dispersed throughout the clearing in small bundles, almost as if the clearing were dotted with floating balls of his opponent's energy. Immediately, Hiei longed to return to the cover of the forest, but he knew how futile a gesture that would be. Feeling exposed, he kept up his guard as he spoke. "Show yourself."

The wind blew softly, bending the grass once more and carrying the sound of a chuckle. "I will. But first, I want to make sure you understand the rules of our little game. You obviously got my note," the voice stated. The question was rhetorical; Hiei would not have ventured out into the wilderness in the first place if he had not received the missive. The voice continued, "The rules stay the same. If you refuse or if you resist, you know what will happen." Hiei's lack of response indicated that he understood.

Detaching itself from the shadows across the meadow, a dark figure emerged and moved fluidly into the moonlight. Even the bright beams of the full moon did little to illuminate it, though. Silky, black hair absorbed every drop of light and a long black trench coat gave the illusion that the shadows moved with the figure, unwilling to be left behind under the trees. Only the glint of silver from a small facemask betrayed the creature within the dark form. Slowly it sauntered across the grass. Although his mouth was covered, Karasu's smirk was easily visible in his eyes.

Still hidden among the foliage, his energy so skillfully splayed among the plants that he could not be felt, even by Hiei, Kurama's eyes narrowed. Inside his head many thoughts ran rampant. Fear and loathing coursed through him, but his foxy curiosity also made itself known. Why had Hiei left he relative safety of their room, of their bed, to meet with Karasu in the middle of nowhere? Silently scared and smoldering with fear, concern, and anger, Kurama stayed quiet and watched, knowing that his answers would come in time.

"What do you want?" Hiei asked coldly. He had realized the note was from Karasu. The crow's sick obsession with Kurama was obvious, and Hiei noted with surprise, unsettling to him. Without time to reflect on this feeling of concern, the fire demon slid one leg back, allowing himself to settle in a fighting stance as he watched this new threat approach.

"Come now, fire demon. I didn't call you out here to fight. Had I wanted that, I could have provoked you back at the hotel. At this tournament, no one really cares if the fights go on inside or outside of the ring. No, I called you out here for a different reason entirely," Karasu crooned, walking still closer.

"And that would be?" Hiei said abruptly, not relaxing his stance or dropping his gaze. He could still feel Karasu's energy dotted around the clearing, and it felt almost suffocating. He also felt some concealed energy from the trees on the other side of the meadow, from where Karasu had emerged. 'So the crow brought backup,' he thought, ready for fight or flight.

"I wanted a private... discussion with you, before the final round begins," Karasu began slowly, as if choosing his words carefully.

"Save it for the ring," Hiei spat.

"Ah, therein lies the problem," Karasu replied. "You will not be my opponent in the finals. You see I have chosen another with whom to duel, with whom to share pain and death. But that alone will not slake my desire... my lust." The crow tilted his head on the last word, and the moonlight reflected in his eyes making them appear to glow. Unwillingly Hiei shuddered, a small movement that went completely unnoticed but not unfelt. Without a word, the hiyoukai turned to leave.

"You know what I will do to satisfy myself if you choose not to play," Karasu hissed. Although is voice was barely a whisper, the words carried through the night air as if a gong had sounded. Hiei reached into his pocket and grasped the note, crumpling it in his hand as he withdrew it, but not looking at it.

"What is it you want from me?" he asked through tightly clenched teeth, turning slowly to face the advancing crow.

"Need you ask?" Karasu said, stopping by the tree stump. Victory shone in his eyes. With any other demon his plan would have failed, but he had sensed the relationship between the hiyoukai and the kitsune and recognized it for what it was, what the two demons were too blind or too stubborn to acknowledge. He had captured his prey and now had only to reel it in slowly, savoring every tug of the line as it tried in vain to escape. With a careless gesture, Karasu waved his hand at the broad, flat stump beside him.

"And in return?" Hiei asked, not moving.

"There is no 'in return,'" Karasu said, his voice gaining a dangerous edge. "The match will continue as planned and I will win. I will, however, make a small concession, should your service prove worthy." Dropping his voice even lower, so low that Hiei, only a few feet away, could barely make out the word, Karasu whispered, "Perhaps, if it's particularly satisfying, I will even agree not to rape my opponent during the match itself."

Hiei closed his eyes. That was not what he wanted to hear. He wanted the match to be canceled, or for the crow to face him in the ring. But Karasu had chosen his prey and made up his mind. All the fire demon could do was buy the victim a small chance, perhaps some shred of dignity in the upcoming bout, perhaps some degree of mercy. Opening his eyes, Hiei tossed the note to the ground and approached the stump, shedding his cloak as he did so. He knew he had a choice; one always had a choice, and he made his on the spot, not understanding why as he began to unfasten his belts.

Karasu sneered beneath his mask. These pitiful demons were so very predictable. Waiting for Hiei to remove his clothing, the crow focused on manipulating the energy he had spread around the clearing and into the surrounding woods. While he was able to create devastating bombs and explosives with his ki, he had another much more subtle ability. Spreading the energy very thinly, he created a web of minute bombs that were undetectable to most demons. Hiei's jagan might be able to sense them, but the hiyoukai was hardly in a position to do anything with that knowledge. These tiny dots of energy would explode upon contact with any living thing that moved to touch them, but they were so very tiny that they would cause no damage. In fact, they would never even be noticed, except by their creator. The web was very intricate and should any of the minuscule bombs explode, a ripple in this web of energy would alert Karasu to the presence and location of any intruders or observers. This was a technique he had developed long ago, and he had found it very convenient to employ, as most opponents thought his only power was to make things go "boom."

Still concealed in the trees, Kurama watched as his lover removed the last vestiges of clothing. The fox had only heard the beginning of the conversation between Hiei and Karasu, and when the crow had lowered his voice, the kitsune had heard nothing. Since the raven-haired demon wore his mask, reading his lips was impossible. So Kurama wondered what was going on as Hiei approached their enemy. Narrowing his eyes, Kurama felt a strange sensation begin to bubble inside of him. If he and Hiei had a romantic relationship, he would have called it jealousy. But their arrangement was purely physical, so the fox tried to quell this feeling as he wondered why he felt it at all.

Naked and bathed in the bright light of the moon, Hiei arrived at the stump Karasu had indicated. It was flat and broad enough to lie upon. Without removing his eyes from the crow's face, the hiyoukai turned and sat upon the stump, leaning back until he was lying down, and waited.

Karasu watched eagerly, his body responding to the sight of the tight muscled flesh before him. He had chosen the fox as his prey in the ring, but he had also longed for some "playtime" with this dark demon. In a different mood, he could have chosen the other way. In that case, the fox would be lying before him, a veritable buffet of sin awaiting his touch. But he was content with his choice. Either way, he would have them both, one in the flesh and the other in death. Walking slowly around the stump, he admired Hiei's body from all angles, allowing the sight to further arouse him.

Finally the crow came to a halt at Hiei's feet. Shrugging slightly, he let his trench coat fall to the grass below. He had not worn his usual dark attire under the coat tonight; he had known the outcome of this meeting when he had penned the note. Why wear pants when they would only get in the way? Moving forward, he placed one knee on the stump between Hiei's legs and leaned over his small prey.

Hiei shuddered as the silhouette of the tall crow blocked the moonlight from his face. Lying in the shadow of the taller demon, he fought his body's natural instinct to fight. He knew Karasu's energy surrounded him; he could feel the web. But not knowing its true purpose or ability, he assumed it was intended to destroy him should he try to resist or flee. He was also aware of Karasu's companion across the clearing. Even if he could escape the crow's reach, he would be badly enough injured that the hidden demon could easily finish him off. His choice now was to play the game he had begun or die. With a wry inward smile that never touched his lips, Hiei realized that he had made that choice before he had even left the hotel room. Now he was bound by the consequence of his decision. Closing his eyes, he waited for the storm to fall upon him.

"Open your eyes." The command was soft, but the tone left no room for argument. Hiei would not be able to hide within himself as the crow took his pleasure. Karasu wanted an active playmate. Reluctantly, Hiei opened his eyes as he pressed his lips into a thin line.

Karasu took a moment to revel in the look on Hiei's face. Hatred, fear, resignation, and anger were all etched in his small features. The crow knew his little prey would destroy him in an instant if given the chance. That's why he did not hide his ki web and why he brought Bui along to linger in the woods as backup. He and the silent warrior had shared their victims before and had even relieved their stress or lust with each other in the past. But in contrast to the budding relationship between Hiei and Kurama, Bui and Karasu maintained a strictly physical partnership. They aided each other when it was mutually beneficial, but each would kill the other without a second thought if it came down to that. Thus Karasu could easily identify the weakness the redhead and the forbidden child shared, the feelings for each other that both suppressed. It made his game easier and his victory sweeter.

Leaning forward more, Karasu pressed his nude body onto Hiei's. The weather was pleasant and the soft breeze gentle, and this contrasted comfortably with the angry heat radiating from the petite body below him. Shifting, he rubbed their flesh together, testing Hiei's control. The hiyoukai did not move, nor did he make a sound. Smiling again, Karasu embraced this challenge. Before the night was over, he would have this wretched half-breed screaming in ecstasy. Karasu continued to move in a circular motion, rubbing his groin against Hiei's and waiting for a reaction. Hiei just tried to force his body to calm down. He knew that he would lose that fight soon, though, if the crow kept this up.

Shifting his weight to one hand, Karasu reached up and removed his mask. Leaning down to Hiei's ear he whispered, "Remember, if you do not slake my lust, I WILL find someone who will... Someone you know... Someone you..." The crow did not finish the last sentence; he needed only plant the idea in the smaller demon's mind. He pulled back to see the effect his threat had on his victim. He was not disappointed.

Hiei had turned white. The pale moonlight washed his pallor out even more until he appeared almost wraithlike. Visibly he swallowed, a nervous gesture very out of place for the strong, stoic demon. With shaking hands, he slowly raised his arms, wrapping them reluctantly around his tormentor. He was loathe to touch the crow's flesh, but images of his fox being raped in the ring flooded his mind. Without realizing he had come to regard Kurama as his own, Hiei tried to make his feeble attempts to embrace Karasu seem stronger than his desire to kill.

Karasu smirked and shifted again, pushing his leg higher between Hiei's thighs and pressing into Hiei provocatively. With a sudden forward movement he heard the fire demon gasp. Looking at his toy, he saw Hiei's teeth close over his bottom lip as he tried valiantly to maintain his composure. But the arms that weakly wrapped around Karasu gripped tighter and the hands that had shaken a moment ago grasped the flesh of his back unconsciously. Swooping down, the crow claimed the hiyoukai's lips.

Hiei tensed when he felt Karasu's tongue trying to enter his mouth. Snarling, he tried to bite the invading flesh. Drawing back, Karasu glared at him. With one fluid movement, the crow drew his hand up and backhanded Hiei viciously across the face. The hiyoukai felt his mouth fill with blood as his sharp teeth cut the inside of his cheek. With a hateful glare, he spit the blood in Karasu's face. Leaning close, Karasu grabbed Hiei's hair and pulled it hard, forcing the demon to look at him as he spoke.

"Listen to me, you little slut. You may tell yourself you're out here protecting that whore of a kitsune you like to screw, but we both know you want this. Stop playing coy or watch him wither and die from the inside out while I fuck him to death in the ring. Have you ever seen someone die from internal explosions as they come blood? It's a beautiful sight, and I guarantee it will live forever in your mind. Just thinking about it makes me hard." Hiei could feel the truth of that sentence pressed into his abdomen. "Please me now or I will please myself in the finals. Choose, bitch!"

Without waiting for a reply, Karasu pressed his lips to Hiei's once more. The hiyoukai opened his mouth this time, allowing the crow to plunge his tongue in and explore. Tasting Hiei's blood, Karasu grew more aroused, thrusting his bare erection into Hiei's abdomen painfully. Not even realizing it, Hiei gripped Karasu tighter, his body finally beginning to slip from his control as the sensations of the crow's tongue and skin broke his willpower.

Still towering over his captive prey, Karasu flattened his body out, allowing his weight to settle on Hiei's small frame. The taller demon exalted in the feel of Hiei's hardening arousal brushing the inside of his thigh. Shifting again, he slid the skin of their chests together, noticing a slick coating of sweat beginning to form between them.

Hiei began to writhe under his tormentor. His body felt a burning sensation; he craved more contact. His body did not care whose hands touched it, whose legs pushed his farther apart. It only cared that the touching never ended. Gasping, Hiei jerked his hips upwards, pressing his erection into Karasu's leg. Of their own volition, Hiei's strong arms shifted. They no longer grasped Karasu; now they tried to pull him closer and create more wonderful friction between their bodies.

Karasu pulled his lips from Hiei's and gasped for air. Moving again, he pulled one of Hiei's legs up and over his shoulder, spreading the hiyoukai before him. Quickly he spat into his hand and rubbed the saliva on his arousal. Smirking sadistically he positioned himself at Hiei's entrance and began to push forward. He had not prepared the smaller demon, but he knew a better way to initiate their joining. At least it was better for him.

Hiei squirmed as he felt the intrusion into his body. Whenever he and Kurama had sex, the fox would use his fingers to prepare the hiyoukai's body, to make penetration less painful. Karasu had no such intention. Painfully the crow inched into the hiyoukai's tight entrance. Then, when Hiei thought he would tear from the pressure, it stopped and stilled for a moment.

Karasu paused. Hiei was almost painfully tight since he had not been stretched and his body still radiated an angry heat that seemed to engulf the crow. The tall form quivered as he fought the urge to just keep pressing forward. He knew that to enter too quickly would shorten his experience, and part of the fun for him was breaking his opponent mentally; he wanted to hear the hiyoukai keen with pleasure before he was done, and rushing now would defeat that goal. Slowly the crow withdrew slightly, not exiting Hiei's body, but releasing the pressure slightly. Rocking gently, he pressed forward again, slightly farther then the last time, but not enough to cause damage before the hiyoukai adjusted to his intrusion. He continued this cycle, driving slightly deeper each time.

Hiei clenched his teeth. He felt the rocking motion, the repetitive ebb and flow of Karasu's body as he penetrated deeper and deeper, giving the fire demon some time to adjust, but not going out of his way to prepare him. Although the pain was intense, the pleasure it brought made Hiei almost whimper with the loss each time Karasu's body retreated. As Karasu finally came to rest, fully encased within him, the fire demon could not suppress a moan. He fisted his left hand in Karasu's raven locks and caressed the crow's back with his right hand.

Karasu smirked again at his prey's willing acceptance of his body and his dominance. Sitting up and raising Hiei's leg higher onto his shoulder, he began moving his hips in a circular rhythm, grinding into Hiei and then pulling back. Looking down he saw the fire demon's erect flesh bob and sway with his movements, but he did not touch it. Within moments, Hiei began to moan with every forward motion of Karasu's pelvis.

Bereft of the crow's torso, Hiei's hands wandered down his own chest and abdomen, intent on pleasuring himself. But before those hands could reach their goal they were stopped by the crow's own hands. Grasping Hiei's wrists, Karasu pushed them up over the hiyoukai's head and held them firmly against the stump below them. Staring at the lithe body below him, he stopped moving completely. When Hiei's fevered gaze finally focused on him, Karasu thrust forward, pressing down with his body and crushing the air from Hiei's body as he struck the small demon's prostate. Keeping his full weight on Hiei, the crow nearly folded the smaller form in half, pressing the leg slung over his shoulder down until Hiei's knee touched his ear. Hiei opened his mouth in pain, but no sound came forth; he could not draw enough of a breath to even moan.

Karasu sat back, relieving Hiei of the burden of his weight and shifted his hips forward again to strike Hiei's prostate once more. "Aaughng!" Hiei cried out in pleasure, almost choking on the word as he gasped for air. The small demon arched his back as Karasu pulled back and then thrust forward once more. Leaning close the crow spoke, his hot breath tickling Hiei's ear. "Tell me, slut. Tell me you want it."

Sequestered in the foliage, Kurama heard only Hiei's moans and the sound of flesh slapping against flesh as Karasu thrust forward. Anger bubbled inside him, threatening to explode within him just like one of Karasu's bombs. The fox tried to rationalize, to explain to himself that Hiei was free to seek pleasure in the body of another. The kitsune was also free to bed anyone he chose, but within him there was no hint of desire for anyone else. Even as his rational mind pondered these intense feelings, Kurama practically shook with rage.

When he heard Karasu's demand, Hiei shook his head weakly. He didn't want this. As much as his body screamed for release, his mind still reeled under its lustful haze and recoiled at what he was doing. Seeing his reluctance, Karasu decided to use another subtle application of his powers.

Releasing Hiei's wrists, the crow began to trail his hands over the smaller form's torso. Under his palms he collected his ki and released small explosions. The resulting sensations felt like a hot, vibrating massage on Hiei's skin. The fire demon arched with pleasure, crying out again. Karasu allowed his hands to wander lower, but never to touch the one place Hiei craved contact the most. Circling over the slender hips and tight abs, the crow teased and tormented his small partner while continuing a soft, gentle rocking of his pelvis. Hiei's arms still lay stretched out above his head; he had no energy to even pull them back to his sides. His body was Karasu's to do with as he pleased, and his hazy mind wanted so badly to follow suit. Summoning all his willpower, Hiei tried to fight the desire raging inside him like an inferno.

Hidden deep within the trees, green eyes narrowed angrily. Trying to ignore the jealously inside him, for he had determined that what he felt was indeed jealousy, Kurama shifted. Unknown to him, his movement initiated a small ripple of energy.

Still grinding into Hiei, Karasu felt a small shiver in his energy web. Momentarily shifting his eyes to the trees, he gave no outward indication that he knew they were being watched. 'So very predictable,' his mind jeered. Not wanting to disappoint his audience, Karasu sped up and began thrusting more viciously, barely giving the hiyoukai below him a chance to breathe.

When Karasu had begun his slow grinding, Hiei's body had adjusted relatively well; he was a demon and not fragile like humans. But with the increased pace and the lack of preparation or suitable lubrication, Hiei felt pain inside him and at his entrance. His body no longer wanted to lie limply and enjoy these sensations; they were no longer enjoyable in the least. Reaching up, he tried to push Karasu away, to make the chafing pain stop. But Karasu had complete control and easily pushed Hiei's hands back down to the stump. Thrusting recklessly, he seemed to revel in the stretching sensation of Hiei's tight body. The heat of friction added to the heat already pouring from the fire demon's body and drove the crow to push faster, harder, lifting Hiei's hips from the stump and forcing his weight up onto his neck.

Hiei tried to speak, but his body was not within his control anymore. When the pressure in his rear seemed like it must explode, Hiei finally managed a dull groan, but before it could even fully escape his throat, the pressure suddenly changed. Hot friction was replaced by hot liquid as the pushing sensation changed to a tearing feeling. Closing his eyes, Hiei gasped. Karasu felt the change and continued his assault on Hiei's body, the smell of blood exciting him more than he thought possible. Driving forward he continued his pace until he felt himself nearing his end. Deciding he had played long enough, and wanting to make sure the audience in the forest got an eyeful, Karasu allowed his hands to drift down to Hiei's arousal.

Hiei's body was wracked with pain, but that sensation is so close to pleasure that the transition between the two was indistinguishable to the hiyoukai. Hiei thought he might explode when Karasu's effervescent caress finally grasped his erection and began to pump him. Setting a fast pave to match his thrusts, Karasu gave in to his own pleasure and continued pounding into Hiei's small body relentlessly, driving the fire demon's form up the rough tree stump below them. The pressure of Karasu's thrusts, the popping heat of his hands on Hiei's hard flesh, and the feel of the rough wood under his back combined to send Hiei spinning out of control. Shuddering and arching, the fire demon screamed his release in an agonized, ecstatic cry. With a few more thrusts into Hiei's hot, clenched entrance, the crow climaxed as well, shooting his seed deep into the fire demon's bowels. Spent, he nearly collapsed upon the smaller demon. Nearly. The game was not quite over yet.

Leaning close, the crow whispered into Hiei's ear, "Not bad for a forbidden little slut like you. I guess I won't have to rape your little friend during the finals after all. And since you were such a compliant little bitch, I'll give you a treat. During the fight, I will spare his pretty little face. We can both always remember his beauty - you while thinking of what you've lost, and me while thinking of what I've gained."

"He hasn't lost yet," Hiei panted between his gasping breaths, not moving the rest of his exhausted, aching body.

"Tonight it's not about what he's lost. It's about what you've lost," Karasu replied quietly. Slowly, with much effort, Karasu pushed himself up, withdrawing from Hiei's body. The hiyoukai moaned slightly as the pressure in his entrance was released and he felt the blood flow freely from his body, but made no move to clean himself up. The evidence of his climax puddled on his stomach, reflecting the pale beams of the moon now that the crow's shadow had moved from him. His thin chest heaved with each breath he took as he tried to regain his control.

Karasu turned to the forest from Hiei had emerged. "You can come out now, clever kitsune," he said mockingly. Realizing he had been discovered, Kurama arose and emerged from the trees, hatred burning in his eyes.

Hiei turned his head, ever so slightly. The sight of his fox stepping into the moonlight cut him to the core. Fear and disgust as he had never known welled up inside him, along with a sense of loss so deep it shocked him. He realized that the crow had planned this from the beginning, had known the fox would follow him from the hotel. Kurama had seen everything, had seen him in the throes of passion, and now stared at him, at the evidence of his pleasure, however unwilling, gleaming on his naked body. Feeling small and dirty, Hiei averted his gaze.

"Your little friend was good," Karasu taunted. "But we will have our turn. In the finals, you and I will do our own little dance and let a different passion consume us. But it's late, and I know your fragile, human body needs to rest." The crow collected his trench coat and began to leave the clearing, not even bothering to wipe Hiei's blood from himself.

As he reached the trees he stopped and turned his head so Kurama and Hiei could see his profile. "Remember one thing, Kurama. I have planted my seed deep within your little friend, and a dangerous seed it is. Fight me with all that you have, or he will meet a most unpleasant end." With that the crow left the clearing. Both remaining demons felt his energy, and the energy of their unseen onlooker, fade as the tall demon and his silent companion returned to the hotel.

Neither fox nor fire demon spoke. Hiei wanted to cover himself, to hide his guilty pleasure, but was afraid to move. Kurama just stared at the grass, unsure what to say or do. A small piece of crumpled paper on the ground caught his eye. Without thinking, only wanting something to do, he reached down and collected it. Opening it, he quickly read the words written upon it. The color drained from his face.

"Kurama, I," Hiei began, still unable to look at the redhead, but Kurama cut him off.

"This is why you came out here?" the fox whispered. Hiei shifted his gaze to his companion. He saw the small note in the kitsune's shaking hand. Wordlessly he nodded.

Kurama approached the stump slowly. At first Hiei feared the fox would strike him for being so weak, but Kurama did not raise a hand. Instead he turned and sank to sit on the stump next to Hiei, obviously shaken. The silence hung heavily between them as the moon sank lower towards the horizon.

Kurama shifted his gaze from the paper he held, only to notice suddenly the growing red stain under Hiei's rear. Realizing the depth of what he had witnessed, he could find no words. Anger at Hiei, Karasu, and at himself flooded his mind, along with another feeling... guilt? Finally Kurama spoke again. "Why? Why would you do this... endure that... for me?"

"I don't know," Hiei replied simply. After a moment he asked his own question. "Why did you follow me?"

"I don't know," Kurama responded.

"Are you angry?" Hiei asked.

"Yes," Kurama replied, surprised at his response even as he voiced it. Both demons sat quietly. According to the terms of their relationship, Hiei should not have come out here to save Kurama and Kurama should not have cared if Hiei were bedded by another. These new developments weighed heavily on their minds, forcing them to reconsider their priorities. Neither spoke until the bright light of the moon disappeared, obscured by a cloud.

"We should return," Kurama said abruptly, standing up. Hiei nodded and sat up, but his rear protested the sudden pressure. Shifting to his hip, he tried to stand, only to find his legs unwilling to support him. Before he could stumble, however, Kurama had grasped him. Feeling the hiyoukai tense at his touch, Kurama quickly backed away. Hiei wasn't ready to be touched again yet. The fox watched as the smaller demon slowly collected his discarded clothing, shaking as he did so.

The walk back to the hotel was unpleasant for both of them. Neither knew what to say and each wondered about the feelings he was having regarding this situation and his teammate... friend... something more. Before they emerged from the woods near the hotel, however, Hiei stopped.

"Don't fight him," the hiyoukai said softly. Kurama's sharp green eyes narrowed as he appraised the smaller demon. Hiei continued, "You can't win against him. Fight someone else or forfeit the match."

"I can't," Kurama replied quietly. "You heard what he said. He'll kill you with the bomb he planted inside you when he..." Kurama trailed off, unwilling to further voice the events of that night.

"I don't care," Hiei said. "I didn't come out here so I can watch you die in the finals."

"So I should watch you die instead?" Kurama spat, anger and hurt evident in his response. "I could no more do that than you could ignore that note."

"Why not?" Hiei demanded. For a moment their eyes met and each knew the answer neither could admit. But the moment passed swiftly and each averted his gaze, not ready to face the growing feeling inside himself.

"I will kill him," Kurama whispered. "Even if I perish in the process, that bastard will die." Hiei did not respond.

The demons entered the hotel in silence. Wordlessly they went to their room. Hiei took a brief shower to clean the stench of the crow from his body. When he emerged from the bathroom, Kurama was already laying in the bed on his side, facing away from Hiei's half of the mattress. Still unable to break the tense silence, Hiei climbed into bed, his back to Kurama, close but not quite touching the other. In the last few hours before dawn the demons slept. They were unable to understand what was growing between them, and unable to face each other without that knowledge. But for tonight they rested, each knowing the other had his back.


End file.
